hot hot hot!

weather: Yeah, it's in the 90ºs here today. Which is weird, because even though we usually have a few warm days in May, around these parts it's not usually this warm. So I'm using San Bruno AC: a battery-operated fan and a squirt bottle. And I am comforting myself in the knowledge of the Warm Weather Rule: 3 hot days, and then the fog rolls back in. Like clockwork. It'll be great.

church music: The Bethany choir had a real good day today! Sang a centuries-old piece of music, "Cantate Domino", (which is *not* about pizza delivery) acapella. It was... magnificent. I am so happy to be part of the choir again. I had a long drought when I didn't really get to sing anywhere. But with T. as the new Director of Music this year, even going to choir rehearsal can be a worshipful experience. Surrounded all night by dear, dear friends in the choir loft, I leave each week feeling both energized and content. Sunday mornings are similarly at-peace, but with a whole 'nother energy. Today the Spirit was very tangible, and the whole experience was satisfying on many levels.

Open Mic Night: Bethany is hosting a monthly event, and so far it's going even better than I imagined. About 40 people attended last night, and 8 of them were guests - folks who saw the ads I put up on line and just showed up. Perfect! Last night was a little bigger, a little better than the previous event.

Next month it will continue to grow. How do I know this? I guess the best way to describe it is faith. Last night it was apparent, so very clear, that God is blessing this endeavor. Do you remember that scene in "Field of Dreams" where the little girl says with certainty, "people will come. They won't even know why they're coming here, or where they are going when they get in their car..."? It feels like that - with little or nothing to do with logic, people will come. This is happening for all the right reasons and we are following the guidance of a Power greater than all of us. The event will, simply, grow.

One of our guests last night said, "you people ALL belong to the same church? This place is amazing!" Modesty aside - it's true. About half of the congregation are incredibly talented - professional quality - musicians. It hardly seems fair, until we realize that God has brought all of these talented people together into one congregation for a reason. The whole push behind doing an open mic night is to multiply our "talents". (A small biblical pun.) We are providing a warm and welcoming space for others like us... others who may not have a place to go, who may not know that a church can be such a place. We are here, and we are ready.

It is SO exciting to watch this unfold!